Mitch and Heidi-and the Homeschool mamas...

[dragondance]

Originally Posted by Jaxence Just finished and wish I had prepared more...DD1 was burnt out and couldn't take anymore, but DS started crying when we were done cuz he wanted to do more...He really likes our geography lessons...The art project we're doing on friday should give both the kids a thrill...It wasn't bad at all, but most of it was review for DS so he breezed through it...We'll see how he does when it gets to be all new stuff...

Awesome! I like to pick up extras at the thrift store (they get a TON) and at Costco so I have other things for them to do. Today dd1 is working on random math workbooks, not our actual math program. It's a nice change of pace sometimes. We also read a bunch and then she wanted to do school afterwards--I love that she doesn't realize that IS some of her schoolwork

[Jaxence]

Originally Posted by dragondance Awesome! I like to pick up extras at the thrift store (they get a TON) and at Costco so I have other things for them to do. Today dd1 is working on random math workbooks, not our actual math program. It's a nice change of pace sometimes. We also read a bunch and then she wanted to do school afterwards--I love that she doesn't realize that IS some of her schoolwork

Great idea...I really need some preschool leveled stuff for DD to do when we do the more advanced stuff with DS...some of it took a tole on her today...He was doing it so fast and she was struggling with it so I definitely need a couple of fillers...And a flashy educational book or 2 that we haven't read a million times, probably couldn't hurt...I have a big white board on my kitchen wall so that will help with instruction...I just wish I had an office or someplace I could use as a classroom so they could focus on schoolwork in the same place everyday...that wasn't associated with food...

Where do you guys do your schoolwork???

[dragondance]

Originally Posted by Jaxence Great idea...I really need some preschool leveled stuff for DD to do when we do the more advanced stuff with DS...some of it took a tole on her today...He was doing it so fast and she was struggling with it so I definitely need a couple of fillers...And a flashy educational book or 2 that we haven't read a million times, probably couldn't hurt...I have a big white board on my kitchen wall so that will help with instruction...I just wish I had an office or someplace I could use as a classroom so they could focus on schoolwork in the same place everyday...that wasn't associated with food... Where do you guys do your schoolwork???

One of dd2's favorites (she's 2) is her Pre-K workbook from Costco. It's ginormous and she just goes through & picks what she wants to "work" on, colors on & names the letters, the numbers, etc. But Costco changes their supply every couple of weeks. I know they have workbooks now at ours, just different ones. We usually do schoolwork in the living room. The girls each have a mini white board (markerboard at Lowe's, cut by them for free into two small boards & one giant one), but I keep the dry erase markers under close guard, lol. In the living room I can print off new things while we work if I need to.

[dragondance]

Oh, on lazy days I also call Bill Nye & Schoolhouse Rock "school"

[Jaxence]

My biggest problem with a work book is my kids look at one page scribble 2 lines on it and move on to the next page...I find single pages hold their attention longer...So I might look for one with tear out pages or find some to print off online...

[dirtmagnets]

I'm sorry I didn't get here to see this earlier, but it sounds like a pretty good day all around. Jacque and Faith, I hope your second days are great!

We actually started our school year back up a few weeks ago with just the basics and have been slowly adding subjects - today was our first day covering everything (for Tyler, at least - grammar, writing, reading, math, history, geology, logic, Spanish, and art; Ryan and James have been doing everything since we started the school year, but I only plan 30-60 minutes a day for them).

I can't complain about our day at all, but I rather expected it to go well - the only thing that was completely new to us was our new history program, and Tyler's so in love with history in general that I don't think I could find a history program that he wouldn't enjoy even if I tried. I was surprised at how little time was involved on my part today, too. We've been working for a while at getting him to work independently (he's a SIXTH grader this year - I can't believe that!) and he got everything on his list of things that he could do without help accomplished before I even got as far as telling him to get started. The few things I'd had him wait for me to do only took a total of maybe 40 minutes. I hope his motivated morning continues to be the pattern for the rest of our year!

Originally Posted by Jaxence You just described DS...He only recently wanted anything to do with his ABC's though he's been counting since he learned how to talk...It just frustrated him and he would shut down, so I didn't force it and waited til he had more interest while keeping letters posted on the board and trying new things once in awhile...Now he's excited, and like everything with him it finally clicked...DD on the other hand will probably pick up most of what I teach DS this year just because she learns so differently than he does...She's the type that learns by repetition so I figure it can't hurt to let her tag along...

This is my little ones, too. Ryan wanted very little to do with anything school-related until recently, but James is in my face fifty times a day asking to do some schoolwork. I don't do a whole lot of workbook time, but have had to find some for James just to keep him happy. He's currently in love with the preschool Handwriting Without Tears book, and I've been cheating and copying pages out of it rather than letting him write in it, because he wants to do each one over and over.

About three "paper" things per day is all Ryan can handle, though. I think it's in part because he has limited motion of his right eye, so he has double vision a lot - he's really struggled with writing, drawing, etc. until recently, and still complains of a headache if he works at that sort of thing for too long). Today, he had two pages from his Explode the Code book and one page reviewing how to write numbers 1-12 and he was definitely DONE with the paperwork. We do a lot of reading together, making up and singing songs, math manipulatives and games, etc., instead.

They've been working on learning our phone number and address, so we've made up songs for both of those that we've been singing every day, and today we also worked with geoboards and pattern blocks, played dominoes, and read a couple of books about fruits and vegetables. We also needed to make a trip to the bookstore/teacher supply store for the last few supplies Ryan and Tyler will need for their first day at their enrichment program, and I didn't think I was ever going to get the little boys back out of the store - they spent over an hour going up and down all of the school aisles. The posters were particularly enticing - they spent ages identifying the letters and numbers on an entire aisle of them. Hooray for unintended "school time" without any work from me!

[Jaxence]

Wow Mitch...i was intimidated by one in kindergarten, but I can see you have 3 well in hand...And one in sixth grade...WOW...That is more than impressive to my nubishness...And all those subjects at once...Wow...
In our state we are required by law to teach a kindergartner 2 full hours, by 2nd grade they want us teaching a minimum of 4 hours a day...960 hours in a year...seems a little extreme to me since I went through every subject yesterday in 30-45 min total...

[dragondance]

Originally Posted by Jaxence Wow Mitch...i was intimidated by one in kindergarten, but I can see you have 3 well in hand...And one in sixth grade...WOW...That is more than impressive to my nubishness...And all those subjects at once...Wow... In our state we are required by law to teach a kindergartner 2 full hours, by 2nd grade they want us teaching a minimum of 4 hours a day...960 hours in a year...seems a little extreme to me since I went through every subject yesterday in 30-45 min total...

But all you have to do is give the state written notice that you are homeschooling. You aren't required to keep records or test or anything like that. I count the time the girls are learning--which is usually more NON-workbook time than workbook time. Reading & experimenting & teaching them about the garden, etc. It's not 4 hours a day, just the same amount of time total as school kids--and kids in K in school spend half their day in recess, per the local schedule. They do need 180 school days, but we do half unschooling so we are always doing SOME school/learning every day.

[dragondance]

And the subject list is like PE (i.e., kids running around/jumping/climbing), the arts (painting, playing their instruments), etc, that do not need to be workbook/structured learning IMO. Personally.

[Jaxence]

Ya that's what I figured too Faith...Besides that they base it off of K attendance time...but you're right about them not being aloud to check in on us as teachers...I just think they are completely unrealistic about it...even at school I doubt they get more than 30 min of sit down learn time...
I was reading this morning on KSL that there are only about 500 families statewide homeschooling their children...At least that was how they implied it in the article about k-12...